Bat Family Drabbles
by Aggy the Awesome
Summary: Three short pieces written for the Bat Family - one with Dick and Babs, one with Bruce and Babs and one with Dick and a young Tim. All were inspired by Tumblr art.


Dick and Babs – Long Night

Barbara was finally done shaking, allowing the ripples in her now cold hot chocolate to stop dancing as she clutched the mug too tightly in her hand. She stared straight ahead at the TV, though she barely registered the news story playing right in front of her. It was background noise; the reporter's voice faded as he spoke about the vigilante - Nightwing, though _they_ didn't know his name - who had managed to evade police after disrupting an investigation. Instead, Barbara's thoughts were at the forefront of her mind, blocking her vision as she imagined what _could_ have happened.

She had just been sitting at home alone, fixing herself a cup of hot chocolate and waiting for her husband to get home from "work." It was almost two in the morning then, but she could never sleep right without him in bed beside her. She was just as much of a night owl as him, though her days in the Cowl had been over for a long time.

She had been humming softly to herself, tapping her finger on the counter as she warmed up her mug, and tossing casual glances toward the clock on the wall. Dick must have been busy that night; he had yet to call home and charm his way back into her good graces like he always did.

Barbara stopped the microwave right on the last second, smirking as she reached in for her hot chocolate and pulled it out to take a tiny test sip. It was definitely hot enough. Now all she needed were the marshmallows and she could–

She turned and gasped suddenly, nearly dropping the mug right out of her hand when she saw Dick slumped against the kitchen door frame. Rips in his suit revealed skin coated in blood on his arm, the side of his stomach, and his thigh.

He managed to get out one word, "… Babs … " before he collapsed in a heap right onto the tile floor.

It was enough to snap Barbara out of her shock. She practically slammed her mug onto the counter before rushing over to her wounded husband and kneeling at his side. She remained calm as she turned him onto his back, and immediately, she was back to Batgirl mode. Oracle mode. Back to the old days. Her eyes were scanning, calculating, deciding how bad his injuries were and what she needed to do to help him, to _fix_ him. It was going to take some work.

And work she did, from two to four o'clock in the morning. She never tired and never lost concentration. Dick's health was her priority; rest was something she could do another time. Sleep was something she never needed, if it was a choice between it and her reckless husband.

Finally, Barbara found herself back in bed, having half-dragged Dick along with her before plopping him down on the mattress as gently as she could. His only movement was to adjust his position before he passed out with his head in her lap and his newly wrapped arm draped over the side of the bed.

So there she sat early in the morning, unable to sleep, with a cold drink in her hand that she couldn't even bring herself to sip. She sighed, shoulders sinking, as she placed her mug on her bedside table. Her hands then found their way into Dick's hair, gently brushing it out of his face as she ran her fingers through it, lightly splitting the tangles.

She tilted down enough to kiss the top of his head, closing her eyes and nuzzling his hair as she inhaled his scent.

"Don't scare me like that again, Man Wonder," she whispered.

Bruce and Babs – Broken Bats

"How do you _do_ that?" Barbara asked, her voice having a hint of annoyance in it. Bruce was the only one who could still sneak up on her, who could pass all of her security systems undetected and get into her tower without her knowing. The only one who could be standing behind her and looking over her shoulder without her knowledge. It was amusing to the point of being annoying.

Bruce, in his usual charming way, didn't say anything. He stared at her from the darkness behind his cowl, his body obviously tense. Was he waiting for something? Did he want her to say more? He was impossible to read and Barbara didn't even try. Instead, she waited patiently for him to say why he was there. It wouldn't be long until he demanded some kind of information. He would need her to look into the security layout of some building or infiltrate the computer system of a no-name company, she knew it.

"Barbara … "

She was immediately struck with surprise. It was Bruce's voice, not Batman's. He sounded exhausted, pained even, and he didn't carry the usual strength that she was so used to seeing from him. She stared up at him in wonder, wishing he would go on and speak up. He had caught her attention.

"Barbara I'm …"

He stumbled forward, reaching up to pull off his cowl wearily and dropping it to the floor. His body was next. He fell to his knees right in front of her wheel chair and set his head in her lap.

Barbara took in a deep breath when he did so, raising her arms up slightly in surprise, not sure if she should touch him or not. They lingered above his head for a moment before she decided to hold onto her wheels. She had never seen Bruce like this. She had never wanted to see Bruce like this. He was always a picture of strength, someone that others depended on and needed. He was the rock. So why was he crumbling so helplessly in front of her?

"I'm … never going to win …"

Just like that, she knew exactly what he was talking about. He didn't think he would ever succeed. His mission was hopeless. Gotham would always be full of crime. There would always be maniacs with guns killing innocent people in alleys. There would always be murder and rape and corruption. No matter what he did or how long he fought, nothing was ever going to change. So why keep going?

Barbara slumped. Prying a hand off of one of her wheels, she just set it on the top of Bruce's head. She said nothing, having no answers for him nor any kind of comfort. He was right. It was never going to end. He was going to fight for the rest of his life, save countless people but it would still never be enough. He would never be able to help everyone. But she was going to be there with him.

And he would never have to be alone.

Dick and (Baby Brother) Tim – Birdie Can't Sleep

Dick could feel a streak of light touch the outside of his eyelids as he slept, the brightness disturbing him enough for him to stir and turn his head the other way. He groaned quietly, still half asleep an starting to slip deeper. The soft footsteps he was hearing must have been in his dream. Were they his or someone else's? He couldn't even begin to comprehend, not in the state that he was in. After going two nights with less than three hours of sleep, his body had given up on him. It wanted its rest and it wasn't going to let a small beam of light wake it up whether it was the sun or alien abductors.

A tug on Dick's shirt was next, but he was tired enough to believe it was the pesky unicorn chewing on his sleeve in his dream. He shook his arm to try and get it to stop which only succeeded in getting it to let go for a second. Before Dick could walk away, it was grabbing his sleeve again and chewing it contentedly, those big blue eyes looking at him in wonder and curiosity.

"Mn … That's not food …" Dick was talking to the unicorn, but a very different set of ears heard the mumble from his lips and stopped tugging.

Tim hadn't been able to sleep as well as Dick. The eight-year old was out of bed at midnight, woken up by a recurring nightmare that he couldn't seem to escape. He kept seeing his dead father on the floor in front of him before turning around and being consumed by a dark shadow shaped like a bat. It had him jolting from his sleep for several nights in a row and that night was no exception. He hated to bother Dick again, but he didn't know who else to go to. Bruce was working late, Jason was about as comforting as a snake and Damian was just a baby. Dick was not only the most caring and understanding person, but he was the only one available as well.

He tried tugging his older brother's sleeve again, this time a little harder and as he whispered his name. "Dick …"

"Mn …" Dick stirred a little more this time, so Tim continued to pull on his sleeve.

"Dick, can I sleep with you?"

"Hnnn'what?" Finally, a real response. Dick hadn't been able to get the unicorn to go away, so it succeeded in waking him up. Blinking lazily, he turned his head only to see Tim standing by his bed, a pained expression on his face. Dick was too tired to be alarmed, but he was still concerned. "… Mn … Hey kiddo, what's wrong?"

"… I had the nightmare again," Tim replied, his voice a pathetic mix of fear, insecurity and fatigue.

"Aw man … You better sleep in here then, hm?" Dick always had a way with his tone that comforted Tim. He didn't have to say much for Tim to smile, and Dick making the suggestion himself had definitely boosted Tim's spirit a little more. "C'mon, buddy."

Reaching an arm out to Tim as the boy climbed into bed, Dick wrapped it around his little brother and pulled him in close before covering him up with the blanket. Keeping his arm around him, Dick patted his back lightly and gave him a little kiss on the forehead.

"No more nightmares," he said.

Tim nodded and snuggled up close to Dick, burying his face into the older boy's chest. Dick smiled softly, reaching up to stroke the top of Tim's head and coax him back into sleep. Dick himself wasn't going to last much longer. His eyes were already drooping and his hand slowed to a stop on top of Tim's head to rest there.

Both boys' breath steadied after a few minutes, their bodies relaxing almost in unison as they slipped into a deep, peaceful sleep.


End file.
